Are PPVs ruining boxing?

[Beanflicker]

The problem isn't PPV. PPV is a necessity in a SPECTACLE-driven sport like boxing. People here who are drawing comparisons to other sports like basketball, hockey, baseball, ect are missing the point completely. These are totally different things. Baseball teams play 162 games a season. Hockey and basketball teams play 82 games a season. Compare that to the average PPV fighter, who may fight 1-3 times a year. There's a lot more luster involved in a PPV fighter's boxing match. Yeah, it'd be great if we got EVERYTHING for free, me me me, gimme gimme gimme, blah blah blah. Grow up, that's not how the world works. There is a lot of overhead cost involved in putting off these shows.

The problem is there is the lack of free content and "give-back" by the promotion companies, which also acts as a way of getting the general public introduced and emotionally invested in the fighters. Look at the UFC: they were putting on exciting fights for YEARS and nobody gave a shit. It wasn't until The Ultimate Fighter and the free finale where people got to know and get invested in the fighters that it blew up. The UFC are constantly putting out free cards on FOX to introduce fans to up and comers.

When you're making EVERYTHING a PPV, including a lot of fights that really shouldn't, you're not giving the general public a chance to attach to these fighters.

But it's not going to change, because these lousy PPVs are still making big money off the names alone.

[Rantcatrat]

The problem isn't PPV. PPV is a necessity in a SPECTACLE-driven sport like boxing. People here who are drawing comparisons to other sports like basketball, hockey, baseball, ect are missing the point completely. These are totally different things. Baseball teams play 162 games a season. Hockey and basketball teams play 82 games a season. Compare that to the average PPV fighter, who may fight 1-3 times a year. There's a lot more luster involved in a PPV fighter's boxing match. Yeah, it'd be great if we got EVERYTHING for free, me me me, gimme gimme gimme, blah blah blah. Grow up, that's not how the world works. There is a lot of overhead cost involved in putting off these shows.

The problem is there is the lack of free content and "give-back" by the promotion companies, which also acts as a way of getting the general public introduced and emotionally invested in the fighters. Look at the UFC: they were putting on exciting fights for YEARS and nobody gave a shit. It wasn't until The Ultimate Fighter and the free finale where people got to know and get invested in the fighters that it blew up. The UFC are constantly putting out free cards on FOX to introduce fans to up and comers.

When you're making EVERYTHING a PPV, including a lot of fights that really shouldn't, you're not giving the general public a chance to attach to these fighters.

But it's not going to change, because these lousy PPVs are still making big money off the names alone.

That's a pretty good point.

However, boxing has no major network backing it, like UFC has Fox. It's only on premium cable so it's audience is inherently limited, and the biggest fighters in boxing never even fight on premium cable.

I don't know UFC, but did their biggest stars ever participate on UFC Fox?

[Beanflicker]

That's a pretty good point.

However, boxing has no major network backing it, like UFC has Fox. It's only on premium cable so it's audience is inherently limited, and the biggest fighters in boxing never even fight on premium cable.

I don't know UFC, but did their biggest stars ever participate on UFC Fox?

Yeah, the UFC have put big stars on UFC Fox. Actually, the first one they ever did featured a main event for the Heavyweight title between Cain Velasquez (current HW champ) and Junior Dos Santos (former champ).

Now these cards aren't up to PPV standards, but they are usually headlined by a championship fight, or at least by a fight between two fan favorites/top contenders.

Now if Top Rank, GBP, ect went to a major network and said "hey, we'll give you these free fights headlined by a big name", I'm sure they could get it. I'm not saying put Floyd vs Canelo on free TV. But Canelo vs Angulo? Why not? Why not a bounce-back fight like Pacquiao/Rios? Give them the big upcoming punchers, Kovalev, Stevenson, GGG, and back it up with upcomers.

But they won`t do that, because boxing is set up to be very short sighted. It goes night to night like a travelling circus and is only concerned with squeezing every nickel out of every fight without thought going into developing the future. Put Canelo on free TV, draw big crowds, and use Canelo`s spotlight to shine a light on some up and comers on the undercard. Tell the people their stories with well produced video packages.

Instead we have a handful of guys with all the heat and a ton of other guys left in the cold. And what happens when Pac and Mayweather are retired... they`re going to be scrambling for another cash cow but it won`t be there because they never put in the work to develop anyone.